The course has generous fairways, but away from the playing areas, there is plenty of trouble to spoil a scorecard
Two hours from Oslo, the Trysil ski resort is reinvented in the summer with a huge number of outdoor activities on offer, including the Trysilfjellet Golf Course.
The resort runs through breathtakingly beautiful mountain forests, complete with babbling brooks and stunning views.
Trysilfjellet Golf offers two wonderful courses - the full length par-72 18-hole course (golf buggies are recommended for the more leisurely golfer), as well as a pay-and-play par-3 course. The main course opened in 2003 and despite the alpine setting, the course is not too hilly and can quite easily be walked by fitter golfers. Designed by course architect Jeremy Turner, Trysilfjellet Golf Course presents interesting and varied tree-lined fairways, ideal for golfers of any level, with impressive, complex greens to master.
Beautifully designed along the foothills of the ski resort, the course twists through the lower Alpine setting. The course comes complete with four sets of tees: traditional back tees in white, tees of the day for most male competitors in yellow, and both blue and red for ladies. A further set of orange tees is for new golfers, and also to encourage the very young and very old to participate in this great sport.
Due to the climate, the course is used to dealing with large amounts of precipitation, and although the summers are normally fine and dry, it would be fair to say that this part of Norway gets plenty of rainfall in the summer months. Nevertheless, the course is constructed to a high standard and there has been considerable drainage work to ensure that play is pleasurable even after rainfall.
The golf season runs from June until October and, being substantially further north than the rest of mainland Europe, there is up to 20 hours of daylight to play at almost any time of the day or night in the summer months. Midnight golf is a great attraction! Come the autumn, the hours quickly shift and daylight is at a premium, even in the peak skiing season. The skiing is quite exceptional, and despite not being very high, the latitude and cold weather ensure that the snow is often in perfect condition throughout the main skiing months.
The clubhouse is located within one mile of the hotel and has an attractive golf range, short game area and putting green as well as a mini golf, rammed with families eager to enjoy their first taste of golf. The clubhouse serves basic snacks and drinks, and includes a pro shop as well as changing rooms. There is a mandatory ten minute stop after golfers have played 9 holes, which can only help the turnover of the café/bar.
There is a huge array of accommodation built around the Radisson Blu Hotel complex. Hundreds of rooms are available, and despite this being built originally as a ski resort, the utilisation of many of the lifts and mountain trials for summer use is quite extraordinary.
Inside the hotel foyer, there is a magnificent stone table, complete with its own fire pit, to give a sense of snug warmth, particularly useful in the skiing season.
The hotel complex has direct access to ski slopes and cross-country ski tracks in the winter, whilst in the summer you will find the Radisson Bike Park with a skills course right outside and walking distance to the summer ski lift, with bike trails in Gullia, Høyt & Lavt Climbing Park and Trysil’s wide network of hiking and cycling trails.
At the heart of the hotel there is a major retail area given over to outdoor sports, especially cycling. Bikes are available in many different sizes and styles, and can be hired for mountain trekking and can also be purchased by keen enthusiasts.
There are bikes everywhere, with all cyclists wearing helmets and all-weather clothing so that the mountains can be enjoyed, regardless of the weather. Occasionally mishaps can occur, but there is a fast response unit dedicated to patching up bruised cyclists and buckled wheels.
In addition to the summer pursuits of golf and cycling, there are zip wires, hiking, trails and all sorts of other outdoor activities. In the hotel, there is a large swimming pool, creche, spa, and sauna, along with a very popular tenpin bowling alley, as well as an indoor FlowRider for practising surfing - all of these activities can be enjoyed by individuals, groups of adults and families.
Families and friends come together to eat and drink after the day’s activities, regardless of the season. There are a number of food and beverage options within the resort, with a very popular pizzeria and brasserie at the heart of the hotel. Breakfast is extensive and delicious, allowing families to fuel up before they embark on the day’s activities.
The cost of living in Norway is quite a bit higher than one would expect in the UK, but this remains a very attractive destination, especially for those looking for an activity-based holiday, rather than just languishing on a Mediterranean beach.
For more information, please go to: www.trysil.com